No fans were seriously injured when a railing collapsed at Rogers Arena during the UFC 289 event in Vancouver on Saturday night.
The incident occurred as Canadian mixed martial artist Mike Malott was walking out from the tunnel to the octagon for his fight against Adam Fugitt.
As fans leaned over the railing to cheer and high-five Malott, the barrier gave way and sent more than a dozen spectators tumbling down to the floor, right in the vicinity of Malott, his security, and a handful of other arena workers.
The railing collapsed at UFC 289 at Rogers Arena as Mike Mallott was walking out for his fight đłpic.twitter.com/BiEjXFDiOL
â Pickswise (@Pickswise) June 11, 2023
âThe safety of our fans is our #1 priority at Rogers Arena,â read a statement posted Saturday night on the official Rogers Arena Twitter account. âAt tonightâs UFC event, as fans leaned over to greet the fighters a railing fell down.
âOur arena staff worked quickly to relocate fans in the affected area and no serious injuries were reported,â the statement continued. âVenue security and staff remained on-site throughout the rest of the evening to ensure everyoneâs safety.â
Malott appeared to avoid the falling railing and went on to defeat Fugitt by submission in two rounds on Saturday night. Malott was named one of the performers of the night and received a $50,000 bonus.
Rogers Arena, like the NHLâs Vancouver Canucks, is owned by the Aquilini Investment Group, of which Francesco Aquilini is the managing director. The facility opened in 1995 as General Motors Place before being renamed in 2010.
Aquilini purchased a 50% share in both the Canucks and their arena in 2004 â amid legal challenges from prominent businessmen and rivals Tom Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie â before acquiring the remaining interest in both entities two years later. Under Aquiliniâs watch, the Canucks have missed the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons.